


Comfort From Where You Least Expect It

by kuraleap52



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26263633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuraleap52/pseuds/kuraleap52
Summary: "Aislynn Marie McCarty, get your ass in here!" Her mother yelled from her usual spot on their couch in the living room. Aislynn quickly threw a sweatshirt over her black sports bra and walked into the living room, where her mother was staring daggers into her eyes. "I don't know if you're dumbass can tell, but it's fucking dark and there's no hot water!" Her mother exclaimed, furious. Aislynn uneasily sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Though she was being louder than normal, this was a routine thing nearly every month when she was unable to pay the electrical or water bill."Listen, Carla. I've been picking up as many shifts at Pop's as I can. I'm sick of you criticizing me for at least trying to pay our bills. If you wanted hot water and the lights on you should've gotten off your lazy ass and got a job!" Aislynn snapped, finally fed up with dealing with her mother's bullshit. Her mother stood up with a hiss and started slowly walking toward Aislynn. Unexpectedly, she slapped Aislynn hard across the face.
Relationships: Sweet Pea (Riverdale)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *TW THIS FIC CONTAINS A PANIC ATTACK, MENTAL ABUSE, PHYSICAL ABUSE, LANGUAGE, AND MENTIONS OF AN OVERDOSE* If you're not comfortable reading about that I highly advise not reading this; This fic doesn't have a particular date in the show, just know it's before Jughead entered Southside High. This is for all my fellow Sweet Pea lovers who want justice for Sweet Pea and wish he could be in the show more. Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading!

Aislynn McCarty was your typical high school sophomore at Southside High. She found school extremely boring, and the only reason she went was because she wanted to be able to get her high school diploma to be able to get a job after high school. Other than that she also was served free food and, despite how disgusting it was, she wouldn't be able to afford consistently eating breakfast lunch and dinner everyday without school. She knew that was the same case for most of the other kids at Southside High, as most of them also lived in a tiny ass trailer in Sunnyside Trailer Park. She was a member of the Southside Serpents just like her mom and dad once were. You'd think she had made friends with the other serpents, but that wasn't necessarily the case. I mean, they were friendly with her, but she wouldn't call them friends. She was happy to be apart of the Serpents though, they made her feel safe.

A place that didn't make her feel safe was her trailer. Her dad overdosed on drugs when she was eleven, so she just lives with her mom. She used to love her mom, she was the sweetest, most loving person in her life. But after her dad passed she lost it mentally. She started drinking everyday and refused to get a job. This caused Aislynn to be forced to get a part-time job just to be able to pay the rent and eat food. A lot of the time they found themselves in the dark and without hot water, as those bills would be unable to be payed. If that was the circumstance her mother would heavily criticize her for not working hard enough at her job. 

Aislynn's mother wasn't the only one struggling mentally though. Ever since the death of her father, Aislynn had been carrying so much stress. She never really knew how to deal with it, so she simply let it build up inside of her. It wasn't until she became a teenager that she would cry herself to sleep every night. She also developed a habit of getting really anxious in even the most simple situations, such as attending class or asking a classmate for a pencil.

By the time sophomore year rolled around her anxiety levels were at it's peak. She hid it well though, not like she'd expect anyone to point it out, as most of the kids in Southside High also had mental disorders. One November morning though, she was sent over the edge.

"Aislynn Marie McCarty, get your ass in here!" Her mother yelled from her usual spot on their couch in the living room. Aislynn quickly threw a sweatshirt over her black sports bra and walked into the living room, where her mother was staring daggers into her eyes. "I don't know if you're dumbass can tell, but it's fucking dark and there's no hot water!" Her mother exclaimed, furious. Aislynn uneasily sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Though she was being louder than normal, this was a routine thing nearly every month when she was unable to pay the electrical or water bill.

"Listen, Carla. I've been picking up as many shifts at Pop's as I can. I'm sick of you criticizing me for at least trying to pay our bills. If you wanted hot water and the lights on you should've gotten off your lazy ass and got a job!" Aislynn snapped, finally fed up with dealing with her mother's bullshit. Her mother stood up with a hiss and started slowly walking toward Aislynn. Unexpectedly, she slapped Aislynn hard across the face.

"Don't you _dare_ disrespect me like that again," she gripped the collar of Aislynn's sweatshirt. "Do you know how hard it's been for me since your father's death? I've tried and tried but haven't stopped mourning," she seethed. Aislynn slightly rolled her eyes.

"I get that, mom, I really do. But getting a job is not that hard. You have all the time and capability in the world. And don't you want hot water and the lights on? You getting a job is the simple solution to that. Pop said there's always a waitressing job available if you want it," Aislynn told her mother, trying to be gentle with her voice. Her mother looked up at her with a blank face and slapped her once again, this time stinging more than the last. Aislynn gasped, as that slap was even more unexpected than the first.

"My own daughter will not tell me what to do here. I am the adult and I am telling you to find a new job or get a fucking raise," she spit, turning back to return to the couch, leaving Aislynn standing there with a shocked face. Aislynn contemplated speaking again, but realized it was pointless to argue with the stubborn woman that was her mother. She just walked back to her room to put her shoes on.

* * *

Sweet Pea noticed something was off with Aislynn the second she walked into their 7am world history class. He liked silently observing people, it was just his thing. But he made sure to keep an extra eye on his family, the Serpents. Aislynn, of course, was a serpent. So this was a bit concerning to him. She was wearing ripped black skinny jeans and a baggy grey sweatshirt. Nothing out of the normal, right? It would've been normal, yes. But her hood was up and covering everything but her eyes. This was a normal outfit for most students but she never had her hood up. Not even when it was ridiculously cold and she didn't have a hat to keep her ears warm. She also sniffled as she walked to her seat. And that could've been normal, as flu season was approaching, but something didn't feel right. She sat two seats in front of him, so he unfortunately couldn't get a good look at her. The only thing he could see was her leg bouncing up and down, which was normal for her.

Everything was going fine until she abruptly got up from her seat and told Mr. Schneider she was going to the bathroom. He thought about waiting a couple minutes before going to the bathroom to be subtle, but he decided not to. A couple seconds after she left he went up to Mr. Schneider and told him he was going to the bathroom. He could just barely hear the whispers of students in the class assuming he was going to hook up with her as he walked towards the door. He just caught sight of her walking into the girls bathroom down the hall. He quickly followed her and made sure no one was looking when he snuck into the girls bathroom. That's when he heard her hyperventilating and crying in the first stall. He didn't hesitate to gently knock on it. 

It took all her might to gently push the stall door open a crack. He opened it the rest of the way and fell to a knee. 

"Hey, hey you're okay. I'm here," he tried comforting her. And while she appreciated it on the inside, she found herself unable to move let alone share her appreciation to him.

"Can I touch you?" He asked, holding out his hand. It took her some effort, but she lifted her hand up and into his. 

"Hey. Just breathe, okay. Uh, repeat after me, okay? Look at me and breathe with me," Sweet Pea instructed. She turned her eyes to look at him and did what she was told. He squeezed her hand as I sign of reassurance as they worked on getting her breathing patterns regular. It took a minute but her breathing steadied and the tears stopped flowing. She threw her head back, as she was exhausted. Sweet Pea patiently let herself calm down a bit before speaking again.

"Was there something that triggered this?" Sweet Pea asked, looking at her with so much compassion. As she turned to look at him she could tell he was genuinely concerned, which was weird to her as they had only had a few conversations before and were in no way close. 

She took her hood off, revealing a bright red mark on her cheek that was turning into a blue color. Sweet Pea looked at her sympathetically, as he had been given that same mark far too many times. He squeezed her hand once again.

"Did your mom do that?" he asked. She nodded and put her hood back up. 

"She... it's been hard since my dad died. He... he was the only one with a job. Once he p-passed away, my mom refused to get a job, so I was forced to get one. I've been trying so hard to work extra shifts," she croaked, her voice unstable. "But no matter how hard I try I'm basically never able to pay our electrical or water bill. And this morning she started criticizing me about it as usual. But then she slapped me... twice," she cried. "She's never actually hit me before. I was able to deal with the mental abuse, but physical abuse-" Sweet Pea pulled her into a tight hug as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Hey, everything is going to be okay. You can live with me in my trailer," he offered as he rubbed circles into her back. She pulled away after a few seconds and wiped her eyes.

"Sweet Pea, that is way too generous. I can't let you-"

"I could actually use the company. I'm lonely as fuck," they both chuckled. "And I know what it's like to be in your exact situation. Before my mother died of a heart attack a year ago, I had a job and was trying to pay our bills while she did nothing all day. I told FP and he let me stay in his trailer. Meanwhile my mom was forced to get a job," he explained. 

"Wow. I uh... I... thank you. So much," she gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand.

"It's no problem. Now are we ready to head back to class?" He asked, helping her up. She dramatically sighed.

"No, but oh well," she shrugged as they exited the bathroom hand in hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm back with this fic! Sorry it's been awhile, school has really taken over my schedule. But I just watched Riverdale last night and though Sweet Pea wasn't in it (and probably will never be in another Riverdale episode again :/) it gave me inspo to work on this again. So, I hope you enjoy! Kudos are appreciated :)

It had been two months since she'd moved in with Sweet Pea. She was happier than ever. Her mom had finally gotten a job, she cut her hours at Pop's down since Sweet Pea also had a job and they were easily able to afford the bills in his trailer. Her mom had been speaking with her a little bit and they mutually decided they shouldn't see each other for a little while. Because as good as things did seem, something could always happen. 

Sweet Pea had been so, so supportive throughout the whole transition of her moving in with him. It was awkward and uncomfortable for her at first. She didn't know where everything was and felt bad after accidentally using some of his things. But with some reminders and reassurance, she felt at home within a couple weeks. And it was all thanks to him. He was willing to make sure she felt safe at all times. He'd slept on the couch for the first two months, so she could feel comfortable in his bed. And she did at first. It was really nice. But something was missing. The warmth of the bed had finally worn off. And she knew how to get it back.

She took off the helmet that she bought a month ago after riding on Sweet's motorcycle after school. They were both exhausted from mid-terms, and all they wanted to do was nap. But Aislynn knew that wasn't going to happen for her. She was so anxious that she felt dizzy after the motorcycle ride, and that never happened. She couldn't stop replaying some of the answers in her head and trying to calculate what her score might be to prepare herself for it. But none of that was helping. Matter of fact, it was making it worse. And she couldn't stop it.

* * *

He noticed she looked a bit off walking into their now shared trailer, but he figured she was just tired. And he didn't blame her, he himself was exhausted. Mid-terms kicked his ass, and he was probably only going to get a D on them anyways. But he had come to terms awhile ago that school wasn't for him. He was never going to college. It just wasn't happening. So he was just focused on simply graduating, working on his job, oh, and her. Her meaning Aislynn. The kind, polite, shy, anxious, funny, cute, badass, girl that had moved in with him only a couple months ago. And ever since then he'd been happier than ever. She made him a better person, and for that he was so appreciative. It definitely helped that she was also a serpent, so she had been born and raised just like him. They were so similar it was ridiculous. They both had past traumas that they learned to deal with by simply not dealing with it. But when it was just them two, they let themselves release their emotions. It was a month after she had moved into his trailer that they had a talk about that stuff. And then finally, it happened. He cried. More like sobbed, but whatever. It was so freeing. And from that moment on he knew he could trust Aislynn. He'd never shown his vulnerability to anyone he didn't trust.

But anyways, he really, really liked her. And definitely had feelings for her.

So when they walked into his trailer after mid-terms day, he felt her anxiousness looming over her. It was something that happened so often now that he could sense it, which was super strange, but also cool.

"Aislynn, do you wanna talk about today? I know it's been super stressful for you," he spoke softly, grabbing her arm gently and caressing it. She had plopped her winter coat over the back of his couch and she was left in a navy blue t-shirt. She turned to look into his eyes with her own vulnerable ones. Her lips quivered just before her whole body started to as well. 

"I'm uh- I just want to lie down right now," she told him with a small smile he could see right through. He tried returning her smile, though it was hard for him not to give her a concerned look that would say, _'I know you're anxious right now, so why don't we just talk about it?'_ He laughed in his head at that, knowing if you told past him about this that he would be so confused. He never expected to grow any romantic relationship with a girl, let alone fall in love. But we were way past that now.

"Okay. Well, uh, I'll be in here if you-"

"Actually, uh, can I ask you a weird favor?"

"Anything. As long as it's not too weird," he chuckled.

"No, no. I just uh.. Can you just hold me? I don't think I'd be able to fall asleep on my own and I'm super cold." Sweet Pea took a couple seconds to process. "Butifyoudon'twanttoit'sfi-" 

"Hey, calm down," he chuckled, grabbing a hold of her shoulders as he spoke. "I'd be happy to," he reassured her with both his words and facial expression. She nodded as she turned to walk into his bedroom with him right behind her. He shed his coat, throwing it onto his floor before doing the same with his boots. Parts of his feet instantly froze, the holes in his socks exposing him to the cold hardwood floor. He then shed his pants, leaving him in boxers and a t-shirt. He quickly climbed into bed, where Aislynn was already there waiting for him. She too had shed her pants, leaving her in just a t-shirt and underwear. He awkwardly scooted closer to her. She turned to face away from him to make it more comfortable for the both of them. He reached her back and slid one arm under her and one arm over her. She let out a small gasp at his cold hands slithering around her body. But once she got used to the feeling, it felt nice. Comforting. She'd never had any sort of physical comfort like this before. She let out a deep sigh, letting out all the tension of mid-terms. Sweet Pea smiled at the comfort he was bringing her. She bent her knees and tucked her feet underneath his legs for more warmth. He gasped as well at the feeling of her freezing feet touching his legs, and just laughed it off.

"Comfortable?" He asked. She responded with a hum and a nod of her head. He could tell she was drained. He doubted she'd slept much all week. 

Just before the both of them drifted off into sleep, he kissed her head, sending goosebumps down her spine. She smiled, shutting her eyes and drifting off into a long, peaceful sleep in the arms of the boy she was falling for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I'm sorry this is so short! Hope you enjoyed fluffy Sweet Pea though because we all know that man is so soft underneath his leather jacket. Hope you enjoyed! Kudos are appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> I really tried to not overcomplicate this fic, but what can I say, I'm a sucker for lot's of drama. And I probably made Sweet Pea a little too soft, but we all know he has a big soft side, so I was just glorifying it. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading! Kudos are appreciated (:


End file.
